It is known in the art that automated systems have been developed for use in telecommunications applications wherein an automated system will place a telephone call for the purpose, for example, of connecting a business agent at one end with a member of the public at the other end. However, it is becoming increasingly more common for members of the public to utilize machines such as answering machines to respond to incoming calls for the purpose of screening calls, taking messages, blocking calls, and so forth. As those in the art readily appreciate, if the automated system connects a business agent to a machine, there is a great loss in efficiency in the use of the services of the business agent.
In addition, automated systems have been developed for use in telecommunications applications wherein an automated system will place a telephone call for the purpose, for example, of connecting an automated message delivery system at one end with a member of the public at the other end. However, if the telephone call is answered by an answering machine instead of a live person, the automated system will connect the automated message delivery system to a machine. Often this results in the message being garbled or lost.
In light of the above, there is a need in the art for an automated telephony system that can place a telephone call and communicate with the party who has been called in a manner which is suitable to that party. In particular, there is a need in the art for an automated telephony system that would: (a) place a telephone call, (b) detect the type of party that answers, and (c) provide a message in a form appropriate the type of party that answers. For example, there is a need for an automated system that would connect: (a) either a human agent or a telephone dialogue application to the telephone line to speak to a live person; (b) a voice message delivery system to the telephone line to send a voice message to an answering machine; (c) a facsimile message delivery system to the telephone line to send a facsimile message to the facsimile machine; and (d) a data message delivery system to the telephone line to send a data message to the data apparatus. Thus, there is a need in the art for method and apparatus for placing a telephone call and providing a message in voice form, facsimile form, data form, and so forth depending on the type of called party who responds to the telephone call.